Fbank l



(No Model.)

. F. L. LAETHROP.

GALVANIO BATTERY.

Patented Jan; 26; 1886'.

N. PETERS Phclo'Lilhogv-apher. Washington, D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK L. LATHROP, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

GALVANIC BATTERY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 334,788, dated January26, 1886.

Application filed April 16, 1885. Serial No. 162,443. (No model.)

T all whom, it may concern:

' Be it known that I, FRANK L. LATHROP, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of NewYork, have invented certain newv and useful Improvements in GalvanicBatteries, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates especially to that class of devices known asprimary galvanic bat-- teries, and has for its object the provision of abattery reasonably cheap and simple to construct, easyto handle and use,and wherein the power of the battery is greatly augmented and itsdurability increased.

r 5 My invention consists, essentially, in a jar or cell, preferablymade of glass, and coated with a shellac paint upon its exterior toprevent salting over the top, and render the jar easy to handle, theshellac coating preventing slipping in the hands, especially if wet. Thezinc used in my improved battery is made in the form of ascrew, thuspresenting the largest possible surface in a small space. At the top ofthe zinc is formed a groove or gutter, communicating with thescrew-thread by a minute perforation, enabling me to thoroughlyamalgamate the zinc while in use and without removing it from the jar.The carbon or carbons are in the form of a rod, stick, or sheet, and areprovided with a metal topcast there on, and held in place by notches,perforations, or indentations formed in or upon the carbon .beforecasting the cap thereon, said carbons being secured to a metal bandadapted and arranged to connect them together and hold them in theirproper position within the cell in order to give good circulation; andmy invention also involves certain other novel and useful combinationsor arrangements of parts and peculiarities of construction andoperation, all of which will be hereinafter first fully described, andthen pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved battery, andFig. 2 is a vertical central sectional view thereof at line 00 w ofFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view in elevation of my improved form of zinc, andFig. 4 is a like view of a carbon employed in my battery.

Like letters of reference,wherever they oo- 50 our, indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

A is the jar or cell, preferably made of glass, and coated upon itsexterior with shellac-paint. This coating prevents salting over the top,and in'lifting the jar the hands will not slip, as 5 where naked glassis used, especially if moist upon the outside. I

B is a porous cell, wherein the zinc O is placed. My improved zinc iscast or otherwise formed in the shape of a screw, having one or moredeeply-cut threads. The top of the zinc is made flat, and has an annulargutter or pocket, D, formed therein, a perforation, E, leading from saidpocket to the top of the screw-thread therebeneath. In use the zinc isfirst amalgamated in the usual manner and placed in position. When it isdesired to renew the amalgam, mercuryis poured into the pocket D, andpasses therefrom down the spiral thread therebeneath, thoroughly coatingthe zinc in its descent, and that which passes to the bottom of the cellmay be readily poured off for further use. An extension, F, at the topof the zinc is perforated at G for the reception of the conducting-wire,the same be- 7 in'g held in place by the binding-screw H.

I have found that a series of disks upon a rod present almost as muchsurface as the screw, but such a form of zinc cannot be amalgamated withthe facility above described, and a very poor circulation is obtained.

I is a metal strip, preferably cast, and provided with projections J,adapted and arranged to engage with the carbons K.

P is the binding-screw for connecting a conductor with the carbon bandor strip I. The carbons may be in the form of a rod, stick, or sheet, aspreferred, and are each provided with a cast-metal head or cap, L. Inplacing the cap in position the extremity of the carbon is first cut,notched, perforated, orscored, andthen held in an upright positionwithin a suitable mold, the molten metal being poured therearound, andas it cools it shrinks firmly upon the carbon. A perforation,-M, is madethrough the cap, the center of said hole being upon the line of unionbetween the carbon and metal, a binding-screw, N, located above the holeserving to hold I the carbon in place upon the projection from band I,or with any other conductor. This construction and arrangement secures asubstantially perfect contact, andprevents corroding orsalting of theparts.

One, two, or more carbons may be employed, but I have found by carefulexperiment that the best results are obtained by the use of three,arranged as shown.

In charging the battery for use the solution preferred for the jar ischromic acid, sulphuric acid, and water, and for the porous cell or cupsulphate of zinc and water; or the ordinary bichromate solution may beemployed in the glass jar.

The advantages of my'impro'ved battery are case of handling andcleanliness, the peculiar form or construction of zinc presenting thelargest possible surface in a small space and facilitating amalgamation,my form of zinc lasting several times as long as other shapes heretoforeemployed; the improved method-of securing a proper contact between thecarbons and conductor, and of arranging said carbons to reduce theaction ofpolarization.

Having now fully described my invention,

what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a galvanic battery, a zinc made in the form of a screw, as setforth, and provided at its upper extremity with a binding-screw orequivalent means for securing contact with a conductor, and having amercury-reservoir communicating with the said screw, substantially asshown and described.

. 2. A zinc for galvanic batteries made in the thereof, said receptaclehaving communication with the thread, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth and described.

4. In a galvanic battery, a zinc having a spiral thread leading from theupper extremity to the bottom thereof, an annular pocket or gutter beingformed in the top, as set forth, a perforation leading from said pocketto the screw-thread therebeneath, and a projection at the top of saidscrew bearing a binding-screw, substantially as shown and described.

5. A galvanic battery consisting of a cell or jar, A, porous cup B,screw-shaped zinc 0, metal strip or band I, having projections J, andone or more carbons, K, provided with metal caps cast thereon, the wholeconstructed,

combined, and arranged to operate substan- FRANK L. LATHROP.

Witnesses:

J. MORGAN, A. M. PIERCE.

